Contemporary Issues in Philippine Society

FINAL EXAMINATION IN SOCIOLOGY 11 X5

2007-03926

CW Mills (1959) proposes that the larger concern for society is public issues, or the amalgamation of so many similar personal troubles that they become a pervasive concern. Public issues are usually caused by the existing structure of society, or the failure of one or more of its institutions to fulfill its functions. Mills (1959) posits that for an individual to solve a public issue, he or she must view it using the sociological imagination and understand that the concern is not his alone. He must see that there are others in the same struggle, and they must join forces to collectively battle the issue.

The Philippines is a democratic country and as such, its legal institutions recognize the rights of all persons and the Constitution mandates equality under the law. The first section of the Bill of Rights provides, “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws”. Yet any observant citizen, even without using the sociological imagination, can discern that there remains much inequity in the modern Philippine society, both among citizens in general, and specifically between men and women.

Social Stratification as a Contemporary Issue in Philippine Society

Social inequality is a “condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power”. Social stratification is one form of social inequality, where individuals are grouped into different levels of hierarchies based on certain criteria. In the Philippines, a common topic for discussion